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The Wall Street Journal has spotted a Samsung design patent for wearable computer glasses. Patents are usually as ugly as possible, but keep in mind that this is a design patent. Unlike a regular patent, the final product should look pretty close to the patent (for comparison, here's a design patent for an iPad).

Samsung is going a completely different route than Google. Instead of a self-contained Android wearable that wirelessly tethers to a phone for mobile data and phone calls, the Samsung goggles are literally tethered—with a micro-USB connection. The Samsung Spectacles (that's what they're calling these, right?) physically plug into a smartphone, which sounds like it could fix a big problem with Google Glass. As a self-contained unit, Google Glass has to fill every available space with battery.

Theoretically, Samsung's glasses could draw power from the smartphone's battery, which could make the device less bulky than Glass and give it a longer battery life. An SoC would not even be necessary in the device when you have a cable; the glasses could just be a display device for the smartphone. Physically tethering the device opens up a whole world of possibilities, with the only downside being that you now have to do something with the cable. Given that most of the world has found a way to deal with wired headphones, this doesn't seem like a major hurdle.

You won't need headphones, because Samsung has opted to integrate earbuds into the frame of the glasses. This picks up a huge feature that Google Glass left on the table: music. The patent says that the device will allow users to "take phone calls and listen to music during workouts," and it categorizes the product as "sports glasses," meaning that Samsung doesn't expect these to be worn all day.

Comparing these to the Galaxy Gear, it seems that Samsung still has many of the same challenges to overcome. How much will consumers be willing to pay for a pair of sports glasses? What will device compatibility be like, especially if the glasses require sending things like power, music, and phone information over micro-USB? Not every phone will necessarily be equipped to do that.

Hopefully Samsung will figure it out and won't repeat the mistakes of the Gear. It's very hard to get people to switch devices just to use a wearable computer.

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Ron Amadeo
Ron is the Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he specializes in Android OS and Google products. He is always on the hunt for a new gadget and loves to rip things apart to see how they work. Emailron@arstechnica.com//Twitter@RonAmadeo

As a wearer of prescription glasses (read: four-eyes), I would prefer a small attachment design that I could clip onto my existing glasses and have the display projected onto my lense, a la a heads-up display.

Wish they'd work on just having a glass rectangle screen rather than cramming it on to a stupid looking pair of glasses, or in Google's case, a stupid looking pair of nothingses. I can't imagine wearing either of those in public because they look absolutely ridiculous.

Can't they support it with a plastic arm on the side and a band going around the back of your head like over-ear headphones rather than having this weird ultra-nerd bar up front? Is there some critical design element I'm missing that requires a dopey glasses frame? Also, they both look really awkward to wear actual prescription glasses with.

Perhaps one of the devices it would tether to would be a universal-ish Bluetooth adapter to connect to a wider range of Android phones beyond those with USB OTG.

Or they've convinced themselves their freaky glasses are so awesome they will drive sales of their own latest phones with dedicated support, in which case it will do about as well as the Palm Folio.

That is an interesting point...has there been any rumors/leaks of Apple iGlasses? These and the Google version both seem to predicate the use of an Android device, unless I'm mistaken. I can't see Apple abandoning a potential new field of Consumer Electronics, especially one that lends itself so well to good styling. They could literally be a fashion accessory, like people already claim for other Apple products.

I think these sort of devices have much more potential than the smartwatch fad, solely because they intrinsically solve the display information problem.

As a wearer of prescription glasses (read: four-eyes), I would prefer a small attachment design that I could clip onto my existing glasses and have the display projected onto my lense, a la a heads-up display.

I think it would be more likely for these devices to gain a serious user base then have your prescription made to replace the lenses on the device.

Anyhow, all of these eye-things inherently discriminate against those of us - such as I - who already wear glasses. Unless a device which is truly universal can be invented it won't reach really broad appeal. How do you even put on a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes for example with either these or google glass...?

Also, I note there's no forward-facing camera with these. One huge controversy avoided in an instant, in other words...!

If these were to have an option to be tinted and polarized I might actually well consider picking up a pair for medium-to-long distance bicycling. Can't see myself wearing them around normally though.

if the lenses are standard template designs, any eyeglass store could send in the lens to a manufacturing facility like Essilor and have a new set made with prescription focal and coatings (anti-glare, anti-UV, polarize, etc..)

As a wearer of prescription glasses (read: four-eyes), I would prefer a small attachment design that I could clip onto my existing glasses and have the display projected onto my lense, a la a heads-up display.

I thought a big part of the appeal of BlueTooth earpieces was that people don't like walking around with headphones, etc. plugged in? Now Samsung wants people to walk around all day with a pair of glasses plugged into a device through Micro-USB?

Wearables probably need a few more years of technological advancement before they will be practical. Maximum CPU power, etc. isn't really an issue.Size, weight, comfort, and most importantly, style are the critical specifications. This is what having Angela Ahrendts in the C-Suite will do for Apple. I can't see them producing anything that looks like this, the Google Glass, or the Galaxy Gear if she has any say about it.

The integrated earbuds seem like a poor choice because you certainly wouldn't want to have them in at times when you're not listening to music. Also, I've owned far too many headphones where the cables wore out and broke after extensive use. Having a cable integrated into these would definitely be a concern, knowing Samsung's penchant for cheap materials.

Perhaps one of the devices it would tether to would be a universal-ish Bluetooth adapter to connect to a wider range of Android phones beyond those with USB OTG.

Or they've convinced themselves their freaky glasses are so awesome they will drive sales of their own latest phones with dedicated support, in which case it will do about as well as the Palm Folio.

I don't see this being the case, as I'm starting to think that these will require power over USB as the article alluded to. If Samsung is going to make the wearer have a cord dangling down the back of their neck, I think it would be for reasons that would preclude being able to just stick a Bluetooth adapter onto the end of it, such as needing to draw power from the attached device.

As a wearer of prescription glasses (read: four-eyes), I would prefer a small attachment design that I could clip onto my existing glasses and have the display projected onto my lense, a la a heads-up display.

What if the option to swap out the lenses was available?

Well considering these are categorized as "sport glasses", I'd say they fit that category aesthetically. For everyday use, however, I'd prefer to use my own frames that I've personally picked for their look and fit rather than have a proprietary device sitting on my face.

If Samsung's Galaxy Gear is any indication, Google must be quaking in its boots.

Not because it will be so good no one will want Google Glasses, but because it will be so bad no one will want to any glasses-like devices in the foreseeable future.

Wait...O...M...G... I totally get it now. Samsung's strategy isn't to join early and dominate new wearable computing market, their strategy is to ruin it so they could just sit there and sell millions of plastic galaxy phones! They are definitely the most evil of the evil geniuses.

*sigh* If we still live in a world where we haven't grown up and forged proper attitudes toward rudely and creepily fidgeting with our phones every single second, I really don't want to live in the world of Glass, Spectacles, Monocle, Nokia 'nocs, etc. etc. I'm not against rapid convergence on the future, I'm just pro plain old manners. I will straight up terminate dates if someone starts fiddling with their screen mid-convo. You should, too.

As a wearer of prescription glasses (read: four-eyes), I would prefer a small attachment design that I could clip onto my existing glasses and have the display projected onto my lense, a la a heads-up display.

You'd think the curvature of existing lenses could let them serve as convergent mirrors for a tiny projector mounted near your ear, making it easier for the eye to focus on a virtual screen some distance in front of you.

If this rolls out, by the time it does, I wonder if Samsung will have learned from the debacle of that white elephant they're calling a smartwatch. If they choose to tether this gadget as well to just a select few of their phones, they're just asking for it to fail.

My issue with cords on headphones is that sooner or later I manage to catch the cord on something and have the ear buds ripped out of my ears. It also tends to be hard on the earphones.

This would make for a considerably more expensive device getting yanked on if it caught on something, and USB ports on phones have limited durability. I wouldn't expect them to hold up well to having a cord plugged into it while it is in your pocket and having the connector torqued a bit with each step you take or when you stand up.

I can understand not putting a lot of processing power into it. It works better as an accessory rather than a stand alone device. However, it needs to be wireless. If they can't get a reasonable amount of battery life out of the battery they can fit into the glasses, then as far as I am concerned, the tech just isn't ready yet.